Sunday 29 March 2026

Very informative Recording of our 23 March Virtual Public Meeting “Will SWF get better health services from 1^st April’s NHS changes?” is on our website’s Activities. Chief Officers told us how NHS Essex, our Hospitals and our Mental Health Trust are changing and improving.  

Our local Hospitals’ Trust goes into an “intensive recovery programme” in April after the Health Secretary said “failure has been tolerated for too long”. Our Monday virtual meeting heard the new Chief Executive is getting to grips with its challenges and we hope the extra support will help get our local acute services up to scratch very soon.  We wish them well with this and will help in any way we can. 

Please tell us what you think about English Resident Doctors striking from 7-13 April, straight after the long Easter weekend? Do they have patient and public support? 

Measles outbreak of highly contagious disease, in north London. Most cases are in schools and nurseries; some children require hospital treatment, “particularly those not immunised”. Outbreaks spread easily and Essex is close by. Parents should get children vaccinated and check children’s vaccination status.  Between 1 January and 16 March 2026 270 measles cases have been confirmed in England, 35 more since 12 March, mostly driven by the North London outbreak. The blog: “What are the symptoms of measles and how can I best protect my child?” is updated.   

At time of writing: No cases of Meningitis have been reported in recent days. The outbreak appears to have peaked. Essex NHS says: While the overall risk to the wider public remains low, Meningitis can develop quickly and become very serious. Early symptoms can feel like flu or other common illnesses like fever, muscle and joint pain and feeling tired. Symptoms can worsen quickly and may include severe headache, confusion and seizures. “Meningitis and septicaemia: know the symptoms and when to get help” is on the NHS website. 

Norovirus activity remains high but is decreasing, remaining at expected levels. Cases are high in adults aged 65+; children also suffer badly. To reduce the spread, please practice good hygiene. Alcohol gels don’t kill Norovirus; wash hands regularly with warm soapy water and use bleach-based products to clean surfaces to protect everyone and reduce spread.  

This year, Asthma and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) patients will start getting better care closer to home through a new £10m government, NHS and pharmaceuticals partnership. Tens of thousands of patients will get faster, better and more personalised care to tackle leading causes of death and preventable hospital admissions. Emergency admissions will be avoided; winter pressures eased. 1 in 5 people are affected by respiratory disease during their lifetime. Respiratory disease is the third leading cause of death in the UK, with 700,000+ hospital admissions and 6million annual inpatient bed days, most unplanned.   

10,000+ calls to Martha’s Rule helplines in the first 16 months of this NHS scheme, have saved lives and helped thousands of patients benefit from changes to their care. NHS trusts must fully implement this by March 2027. Between September 2024 and December 2025, 10,119 escalation calls were made by patients, families and staff. 3,457 calls helped identify acute deterioration, leading to 1,885 patients receiving changed treatment, including 446 potentially life-saving interventions. 6,000 calls addressed clinical, communication, or coordination concerns, leading to improvements in care or system navigation. Hospitals are publicising Martha’s Rule and making it easy-to-understand and use by patients, families and staff. 

Serious problems with the supply of bone cement, crucial in orthopaedic surgery, are resolved. Sufficient supply is back in the system. Elective surgery has been restored. Additional theatre time is enabling patients who were postponed to be rescheduled.  

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